June 19, 2019
Two of the nation’s leading advocates for the prevention of child abuse and bullying announced a partnership today called Prevent 360°. Protecting children from sexual abuse and other types of victimization requires a 360° approach. This new comprehensive approach offered by Monique Burr Foundation for Children (MBF) and Darkness to Light is being offered with preferred pricing. Prevent 360° establishes a clear message and framework provided by Darkness to Light for adult education and MBF for child/youth education. “Research shows that 95 percent of sexual abuse is preventable through education,” shared Lynn Layton, President and CEO of MBF, “This partnership allows us to educate children and adults through one comprehensive approach.” MBF teaches children 5 Safety Rules and Darkness to Light teaches adults 5 steps, and these complementary messages work together to better protect children. Prevent 360° combines child-focused and adult-focused education as part of a larger approach to reduce stigma, influence behavior and change social norms. “This type of abuse must stop and while we have focused on educating adults to keep children safe we also want to give kids the tools they need to help adults keep them safe,” said Katelyn Brewer, President and CEO of Darkness to Light. “Prevent 360° is the first step and we are proud to partner with MBF who has a track record of success in protecting children through their evidence-based/evidence-informed programs.”
Darkness to Light’s 5 Steps for Adults include:
- Learn the Facts
- Minimize Opportunity
- Talk About It
- Recognize the Signs
- React Responsibly
MBF’s 5 Safety Rules for Children include:
- Know What’s Up
- Spot Red Flags
- Make a Move
- Talk It Up
- No Blame | No Shame
“You don’t have to look any further than the local news in any city across the country to see that child victimization is happening everywhere. The types of abuse our children face is horrific, but we can work together to prevent it from happening,” shared Edward Burr, founder of MBF. “Prevent 360°fills a void. Every child deserves to be safe and we know that by educating both groups we can prevent abuse from happening.”
As part of this powerful collaboration, MBF Facilitators will be encouraged to add Darkness to Light’s adult-focused, evidence-informed trainings to their programs and services. To incorporate the 360° approach, Darkness to Light Facilitators will also be encouraged to utilize MBF’s child-focused prevention education programs that are evidence-based/evidence-informed. The strategy of providing both children and adults prevention education to prevent, recognize and respond appropriately to abuse launches today. Combined, the programs include complementary language and strategies, so adults and children have a common language to talk about sexual abuse and other types of victimization. Both organizations are committed to using ongoing program evaluations to ensure efficacy. To learn more about Prevent 360° or to order the programs, visit www.prevent360.org.
ABOUT DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Darkness to Light is a nonprofit organization with the mission to empower adults to prevent child sexual abuse through awareness, education, and stigma reduction. Darkness to Light’s flagship program, Stewards of Children®, is an evidence-informed, award-winning training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. More than 1.7 million adults have been trained using Darkness to Light trainings. For more information, visit www.D2L.org.
ABOUT MONIQUE BURR FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children (MBF) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by Edward E. Burr in honor of his late wife, Monique Burr, a devoted child advocate. MBF Prevention Education Programs, including MBF Child Safety Matters® for elementary schools and MBF Teen Safety Matters® for middle and high schools, as well as the newest program, MBF Athlete Safety Matters™ are evidence-based/evidence-informed primary prevention programs that educate and empower youth and relevant adults with information and strategies to prevent, recognize, and respond appropriately to bullying, cyberbullying, digital dangers, the four types of child abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect), and exploitation. MBF programs have been delivered to over 3 million students by 3,000 facilitators in the United States since 2010. For more information, visit wwwstaging.mbfpreventioneducation.org.
If you would like to bring training to your school, organization, or community, visit www.Prevent360.org.
